Four Ruined Realms

Royo is alarmed by the amarth’s mix of human and bird features. Amarths can speak telepathically, and this one calls them thieves. It knows their names, Aeri’s true identity as a princess, and the name of Royo’s absent father, Snaw. Aeri says that they have to take the egg to Queen Quilimar, and the bird says that Quilimar can’t use the Golden Ring and that they are fools.

Aeri offers to trade the egg while holding her necklace. The amarth refuses and tells them to leave the egg. Royo gets into a fighting stance, ready to die so that Aeri can leave with the egg. She refuses to let him die and begins to set down the egg. They hear a shriek.

Tiyung enjoys Ailor’s stories about the distant past, but Ailor won’t share details from his recent past. Tiyung is concerned because he hasn’t seen Zahara for about a week. The food she left has run out, and Tiyung talks about his hunger. Ailor reminisces about surviving a famine that occurred when Tiyung was just a baby. He was too young to remember it, and it wouldn’t have affected his royal family anyway.

One day, Zahara returns. Although her expression concerns Tiyung, she assures him that Sora is still alive. Zahara introduces herself as the royal spymaster to Ailor. When Ailor says that his son is the former royal spymaster, Tiyung realizes that Ailor is Mikail’s father. Zahara says that her position is temporary and that she loves someone more than her job.

Zahara tells Tiyung that Daysum is dead and that she was away conducting the funeral. People say that Daysum died of an overdose of a drug called laoli. Tiyung wonders if his uncle, Lord Sterling, killed Daysum, and Zahara says that Sterling is dead from a stab wound. No one is sure who killed him. Tiyung thinks that his uncle deserved to be killed. Ailor asks Tiyung if he can trust Zahara, and Tiyung assures him that he can. Zahara gives them food and tells them that soldiers are headed north.

Mikail is angry at Gambria for giving him false information about the coffin. Euyn, Sora, and Mikail run to their horses. Mikail sees that the guard whom Sora kissed is incapacitated rather than dead, but they don’t have time to argue while they are being chased by Marnan guards. Their horses aren’t where they left them, and Euyn is hit by an arrow in his thigh. Mikail takes out the arrow, draws his sword, and tells Sora to leave them behind. Euyn, wounded, readies his crossbow. Euyn and Mikail vow to each other, “Yours in this life and the next” (277).

Sora runs as Euyn shoots arrows at the enemy. Mikail hears a familiar whistle and sees that Gambria and Lyria have come to rescue them. The couple gets Sora, Mikail, and Euyn in their sleigh. Mikail ties one of the sleigh’s blankets around Euyn’s wound. A Marnan archer pursues them. Euyn gets up, shoots the archer, and collapses. Mikail takes the bow and prepares to shoot the other Marnans.

However, when the Marnans turn around and head back to the caves, Mikail realizes that protecting the caves is the most important thing to them. In Gayan, which the others don’t understand, Makail chastises Gambria for giving him bad intelligence. She explains that Lyria updated her about the coffin after Mikail left, but it was too late to send a message.

Mikail asks Sora about the guard, and she says that poison is complicated. Mikail realizes that she made an antidote and chastises her for lying. Sora says that she knows Mikail is hiding something. He thinks of Daysum and doesn’t continue the argument.

As Aeri places the egg on the ground, her owl, Dia, appears and shrieks at the amarth. Aeri is concerned that the amarth will kill her owl and begs it not to hurt Dia. The amarth says that he is calming Dia and asks why Aeri cares for the owl. Aeri explains that she found Dia without a family and took care of her.

After exchanging looks and bird noises with Dia, the amarth indicates that Aeri and Royo are free to leave with the egg. The amarth says that he is doing so because of Aeri’s kind care of the owl and that he will take over caring for Dia. The last thing the amarth says is that Aeri will have to choose between loves in the future. Aeri internally thinks that she will always choose Royo. Royo and Aeri run to their horses with the egg.

Tiyung thinks that soldiers are on the move to start a war and that King Joon is behind it. After Zahara leaves, Tiyung wishes aloud that he were with Sora. Ailor says that love helps people endure atrocities. Tiyung admits that he has killed men, and Ailor admits that he’s killed men, women, and children because he was ordered to do so and that he received a medal of valor for his evil actions. However, he is haunted by what he didn’t stop.

Tiyung thinks about not being able to stop his father from harming Sora, Daysum, and other girls. He was also unable to stop his uncle from hurting indentured servants in brothels he owned. Aloud, Tiyung says that he can relate to Ailor’s comment. Tiyung thinks about the men who are worse than him, such as Joon and Bay Chin, and says that he isn’t at peace with a lack of redemption. Ailor says that Tiyung is young and has time to atone. Tiyung says that his death has been ordered, and Ailor replies that they’ll see about that. He tells Tiyung that his desire for redemption is what matters most. Tiyung is calmed by this and goes to sleep.

After riding all day, Royo and Aeri set up camp. Aeri buries the egg to protect it while they sleep. When she’s done, she starts laughing and crying. This causes Royo to start laughing as well, thinking about how absurd it is that they were saved by Dia.

Aeri kisses Royo, and Royo tries to resist, but she persists. He asks if she wants him, and she says she does. He picks her up and lays her on a blanket by the fire.

On the way back to Loptra, Euyn repeatedly voices his theory about Royo and Aeri betraying them and taking the ring to Joon. Meanwhile, Sora thinks about how showing mercy to the guard almost caused her and her friends to die. When they arrive in the city, Euyn wants to head to Quu immediately, but Mikail insists that they all clean up. Sora also wants to leave as soon as possible to get to Daysum.

Mikail introduces Euyn to Gambria and Lyria. They ask why Mikail saved Euyn, and Mikail explains that Euyn is part of the plan to kill King Joon with the aid of Queen Quilimar. The way that Gambria and Lyria look at each other reminds Mikail of the first woman he loved, in Gaya, and how he misses his home there. Mikail and Gambria speak privately, and Mikail says that she should come to Quu with them because she knows Quilimar. When Gambria tells Lyria, Lyria storms off. Sora feels like they are destroying everyone around them.

Aeri enjoys kissing Royo on the fur blanket. They start taking off their clothes, and Royo compliments Aeri. When Aeri takes off her pants, Royo pulls away, grabs another blanket, and pulls it on top of them, worried that she will be cold. They finish undressing and curl up under the blanket together. Aeri begs Royo to have sex with her, and he performs oral sex on her.

Mikail, Euyn, and Sora arrive in Vashney and check into the Revelry Inn to meet Aeri and Royo. Mikail is tired of Euyn’s theories about Royo and Aeri. More generally, he is not sure about his love for Euyn because of Euyn’s flaws. He also worries about whether Royo and Aeri will be able to get the egg but not about them betraying the others. Then, Mikail thinks about how Quilimar and Gambria were lovers and broke up when Quilimar had to sleep with her husband to produce an heir.

Mikail goes to the local messenger house to get a coded message from Zahara, who says that war is starting. When he returns to the inn, Aeri and Royo are there. They tell Mikail that they obtained the egg. He senses that the couple is closer than before, and he is hopeful for their success in stealing the ring now that they have an exception to the Rule of Distance. Mikail introduces Gambria to Aeri and Royo, and Euyn looks ashamed when he sees that Aeri and Royo didn’t betray the others.

Sora is delighted that Dia saved Aeri and Royo. Royo shares what the amarth told them about Quilimar not being able to use the Golden Ring and a war between the realms starting. Mikail doesn’t want to believe it, and Euyn starts swearing. Aeri is confused, and Mikail clarifies that they were trying to start a war between two realms, not between all four. Euyn insists that they meet with Quilimar as soon as possible.

Ailor hears voices outside the cell and wakes up Tiyung. The guards outside aren’t sure which man is Tiyung and have been ordered to kill only him. Tiyung prays that he’ll see Sora and, more importantly, that Sora is safe. Ailor pulls Tiyung’s royal collar off. Tiyung is confused, and Ailor asks Tiyung to tell Mikail that his father loves him.

The door opens, and the guards think that Ailor is Tiyung because he is wearing the jeweled collar. They take him out of the cell as Tiyung prays in the corner. After the guards have left, Tiyung realizes that Ailor sacrificed his life. Tiyung cries until he hears the keys in the door.

Mikail, Euyn, Sora, Aeri, and Royo travel to Quu on the sled. Euyn feels guilty about suspecting Aeri and Royo. Mikail hypothesizes that the war will bring all the magical relics together, but Euyn points out that the Sands of Time relic has been lost for a while. Mikail suspects that Joon has it already, and Euyn worries that Joon wants to become the Dragon Lord by uniting as many relics as he can. He also thinks that Joon might have ordered the killing of the temple priests and framed Quilimar for it.

Mikail mentions that Fallador doesn’t know where the Sands of Time are, and Gambria says that Fallador is in Quu. Euyn realizes that Fallador is who Mikail visited when they were in Quu before. He is jealous, wondering if Fallador is the reason why Mikail stopped sleeping with him. Euyn thinks about stealing the ring and giving it to Joon so that he can be restored to his position as crown prince and avoid future betrayals.

Zahara comes into Tiyung’s cell, surprised to see him alive, and is upset that Ailor has been killed. She gives Tiyung a guard’s uniform, cleans him up, brushes his hair, and sprays cologne on him. They leave the cell, and Zahara flirts with the guard outside to get past him. As they walk through the prison, Tiyung realizes how much better his cell was than the others and is upset by the torture he sees.

The guards stare at Zahara and don’t pay attention to Tiyung, and they eventually reach a door with palace guards. Zahara flirts with one named Jimi, and Tiyung pretends to have lost his identification. Jimi says that he’ll have to get his supervisor. While he’s away, Zahara flirts with the other guard, Ral. Jimi returns with a captain. The captain is attracted to Zahara and is about to let them pass, but Tiyung can’t think of a name when he is asked to identify himself.

As Aeri sleeps on his chest in the sleigh, Royo thinks about their multiple sexual encounters. Sora smiles at him, and he returns her smile. When Sora says that they deserve happiness, Royo talks about his regret for the things he’s done, such as killing people for money. Sora says that love is something everyone needs, not a reward. Royo expresses his fear that love could end. Sora says that she’s never stopped loving, and Royo remembers that Seok killed Sora’s lover. She says that vengeance has kept her going through the hard times.

Aeri wakes up and asks Sora if their plan is going to work. Sora says it has to, and she subtly hints that Aeri should be queen. Aeri asks if they can stop to clean up and change before meeting Quilimar. Euyn mocks her, and Sora points out that they should look presentable for a royal reception. Royo, noting the changed dynamics between Mikail and the others, thinks that Mikail is not to be trusted.